Brother Knows Best
by angelcreature13
Summary: Dating Abuse fic. A brother is said to know when something is up with his twin sister that causes a change in her behavior. This is one of those times. *TRIGGER WARNING (Just in case)*


**Hello, readers! Just to let you know, this fic deals with relationship abuse. This topic may be sensitive to some so I'm putting out the warning here. This is Rated T but contains _mild violence, swearing, and a chance of a trigger warning for people with anxiety_. I also want to let everyone reading know that if you or anyone you know is currently in an abusive relationship, there is a way to seek help. There are hotlines you can contact who are more than willing to help and websites that contain a load of helpful information. Just know that you're not alone. And now, without further adieu, my story! Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _Two weeks._

That's how long it's been since Gigi Rueda has done anything on her Miss Information website. No blog posts, exclusive pictures, live streams, or interviews. Some of her followers were relieved, while others were sending her complaints.

But the teenage girl could care less, as her head was on Cloud 9.

She had been seen skipping around the school, doodling in her notebook, and humming to herself. Basically, just not acting like her usual intense, animated, and slightly annoying-self.

She was even helping out at the Seven more: taking orders, emptying the trash, and answering the phone for deliveries.

Now her brother may not be the brightest, but he _knew_ when something was going on with his twin sister. As soon as he noticed her abnormal behavior, he vowed to get to the bottom of it.

"Proxy? Are you even listening?" Maddie tapped Diego's shoulder several times before he snapped back to reality.

They were currently at lunch, and he was intently watching his sister eat, with a smile on her face, her cheeks tinted a light pink every so often, playing with her food.

"Yeah, of course. I told you, Maddie, buy the green dress; it compliments your eyes."

Maddie then narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't even _talking_ about a dress. What's with you?"

Sophie's hand shot up. "Maybe he saw Beau!"

Maddie gave Sophie a look of bewilderment, while Katie slowly guided her hand back to the table.

He sighed apologetically, facing his girlfriend. "Sorry, I've just been thinking about Gigi."

"Is this because she hasn't been posting on Miss Information? Yeah, that is weird."

"I know, right?"

"She had better upload that interview she had with me like she promised." the Head Panther threatened. Diego eyed her, and she realized her error.

"I mean, I hope she's okay." she stammered.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but, I hope so too," Katie added.

The school bell rung, signaling the end of lunch.

Diego looked determined. "Don't worry; I will find out." And with that, he kissed Maddie's cheek and headed to his next class.

On the way, he ran into Andi.

"Hey, have you seen Emma?"

She made a face while walking beside him. "Ugh, you sound like _Jax_. I swear that boy can't go a single minute without _his Em_."

"Andi, focus; I was going to ask her to talk to Gigi for me. Haven't you noticed she's hasn't been herself?"

The short girl scoffed. "Barely. C'mon man, I thought you'd be happy she took a break from the Miss Information thing."

"I was at first, but it's my sister; if she truly loved doing it, I wouldn't stop her," he admitted. They stopped once they reached the door of the classroom.

"Okay, okay I get it. Don't panic. Why don't you just let your parents talk to her? Besides, Emma seems a little preoccupied at the moment."

Diego furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding, until Andi pointed to inside the classroom, where Emma was taking part in some heated PDA: her sitting on the desk with her hands in Jax's hair and Jax standing directly in front of her, one of his hands on her waist and the other cupping her face.

Andi grimaced. "Mrs. Jones just HAD to be late to class, so I have to come in see them sucking each other's faces off."

Diego lightly chuckled. "Lay off them Andi; they're in love."

She merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

He raised his eyebrows at his childhood friend. "So, you're not happy for your best friend?"

"Of course I'm happy for her," she said in a rushed whisper, afraid someone may hear. "But sometimes, seeing them swap gum churns my stomach." she grimaced again after glancing their way. "You get my drift?"

After thinking about it, Diego shrugged his shoulders, agreeing with her. He began taking a few steps into the room when Andi stopped him. "Wait, why didn't you ask _me_ to talk to Gigi?"

The kanay gave her a _really?_ look.

"What!? I can be nice."

"Uh-huh, sure." The bell rang again, and with that, they headed into the classroom.

"NOVOA, ALONSO; SEPARATE." Mrs. Jones bellowed while walking into the classroom.

They reluctantly broke apart, Emma holding her head down and tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, blushing profusely, and Jax clenching his fists while glaring daggers at the teacher when she wasn't looking.

This made the kanay snicker.

 _He knew very well that his buddy hated being interrupted when he's with Emma._

Diego took a seat behind Andi, across from Jemma, who slid in their seats. Jax whispered something to Emma that was barely audible. Whatever it was made the brunette witch's cheeks deepen in color.

Seconds into the lecture, Gigi's abnormal behavior once again crept into Diego's thoughts, and he instantly hoped this school day would pass by quickly.

Thankfully, his prayers would be answered.

* * *

It was now dinner time at the Ruedas. The whole family was present, as Diego and Gigi's parents decided to close the restaurant tonight for some family time. Gigi was silent for most of it, in somewhat of a daydream, and her parents noticed.

"Gigi, how was school? Did anything _juicy_ happen today?" her father asked.

She snapped out of her trance. "Oh, uh, no, nothing," she replied, dropping her head and playing with her food.

Saying her parents were shocked with her answer would be an understatement. Diego was even looking at her with wide eyes. "Nothing?! Are you telling me _nothing_ happened at school today? You always tell us something happened, even if it's something small like the bathrooms' got repainted, or a teacher gave you a pop quiz." her mother pointed out.

"Yeah, Gigi," Diego spoke up, eyeing her. "Something _must've_ happened today."

Gigi glowered at him before responding. "As I said before, nothing happened."

Diego narrowed his eyes, trying to search her face for any clues about her recent change of behavior.

Gigi felt his eyes on her and soon became uncomfortable. "Mom, Dad, may I be excused? I don't feel too well."

"Of course honey." her mother replied. She quickly got up from the table and bolted for her room.

"But it's her turn to do dishes!" Diego complained.

His mother sighed. "I don't think she's feeling well. Just do them for her tonight."

The kanay exhaled heavily but obliged.

Later that night, with everyone else sleeping, Diego was desperately trying to get some sleep, but he couldn't. His sister was acting weird, _weirder_ than when she was Desdemona's minion, and no one seemed to notice or care. He knew he had to get to the bottom of it.

A slight creak in the floor broke him out of his thoughts. He slowly got out of the bed and made his way to his door.

Through the little space in his door, he saw none other than Gigi sneaking downstairs. She was dressed nicely: her hair slightly curled, wearing a nice strapless dress, sandals, and a purse. Diego quickly changed into outside clothes and followed her out of the house.

About an hour later, he followed Gigi into a movie theater. As soon as he entered, he saw her run to someone and hug him.

 _Who is this guy?_

He was pretty tall, with disheveled dirty blond hair, and green eyes. His eyes never left Gigi's, even when they ordered tickets to a movie and popcorn to go with it.

Diego quickly dialed a number on his phone, knowing only one person who can tell him what to do in this situation.

Seconds later, a puff of green smoke soon appeared next to him, revealing the blonde witch. Thankfully, no one saw her transport into the theater.

"I'm here, what's the emergency?"

Diego gulped, not knowing if he was able to say it. "I think….Gigi's….. _on a date_."

Maddie blinked twice. "That's why you called me? I was in the middle of my beauty sleep!"

"Madd, please! I'm worried about Gigi, and I don't want it to look like I followed her here."

"But, you did…" she started to say but stopped once she saw his glare.

The witch sighed heavily. "Okay, okay. Let me go and change into a date outfit!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

She left for the bathroom, and in a matter of seconds, she came back out to the lobby, in a teal sleeveless mini dress, with matching wedges and a silver purse to make her outfit "pop."

Her boyfriend stared at her in awe, as if she put him in a trance. He forced himself out of it, remembering the task at hand.

"Okay, let's go." Hand in hand, they walked up to the ticket booth.

"Two tickets to _The Choice_." The man behind the booth handed them a bowl of popcorn and the two tickets after taking their money and told them to enjoy the movie.

Inside, Diego spotted Gigi with the guy and guided Maddie to seats 2 rows behind them.

After sitting down, the kanay immediately saw the guy put an arm around Gigi, which made him stiffen.

 _Who does he think he is?_

"Proxy! Calm down, you markings!" his girlfriend warned in a whisper. He hurriedly closed his eyes, took in deep breaths, and his markings began to fade.

Luckily, no one around them seemed to notice.

When the movie first started, Diego kept a close eye on Gigi, and more importantly, the guy with her. He turned his head to look at her quite a few times, as well as pulling her closer to him every time she slid away to eat her share of the popcorn.

However, as Maddie's head rested on his shoulder, his focus went straight to the blonde witch.

He held her close to his chest, enjoying the fact that he could smell the pomegranate shampoo she uses in her hair.

He barely even watched the movie, he only watched Maddie's expression. She stared in awe at the romantic parts and cried at the sad parts. She then held his hand, clearly afraid when the main character got into a car accident and was told she may not make it.

As twisted as it sounded, Diego kind of liked seeing Maddie cry; it shows she wasn't afraid to open up around him.

Soon the movie was over, and Diego was smiling at Maddie, who was gushing about how great the movie was. For a minute he forgot why he had really come to the movie theaters.

Until he saw his sister clinging onto the guy as they left the theater. Diego quickly got up and dragged Maddie with him.

Seeing them by the arcade games talking, he slowed his pace, trying to act casual.

"Gigi?"

His sister froze, automatically horrified her brother had caught her out this late.

"Diego, this isn't what it looks like-"

"It looks like you're on a date."

She audibly gulped.

"Gigi, who's this?" The guy next to her asked politely, but Diego saw him stiffen, almost defensively.

"I'm her brother." He clarified. The guy then visibly relaxed, and a small smile spread across his face, which seemed a bit forced.

"Oh hi, I'm Zac." he extended his hand and Diego shook it.

 _This guy has a strong grip._

"Pleasure to meet you. So, you're her boyfriend?"

Zac wrapped his arm around Gigi in almost a predatory way, squeezing her shoulder. "I am."

Diego nodded, then turned to his sister. "How long have you guys been dating?"

"Two weeks, four days, nine hours, and 37 glorious minutes," Zac answered, which in turn made Gigi smile goofily.

Diego and Maddie just thought it was a little weird.

"Okay, but, why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend? Why did you hide it?"

"Because I didn't want you to make a big deal about it like you are now."

Diego let out a breath. "Okay, okay, point taken. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."She then shot him a look. "You're not gonna tell Mom and Dad, are you?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

She sighed with relief. "I don't, thanks." She then looked at her brother's girlfriend. " _She_ can't say anything either."

Maddie gasped, and Diego sent her a pleading look.

Unable to resist his imploring chocolate eyes, she came around. "Fine," she grumbled.

"G, we're going to be late for dinner reservations," Zac told her, his grip on her right arm tightening. Diego caught sight of this and kept a mental note in his head.

"I'll be home soon, just cover for me, please?" Gigi asked.

Diego looked between the both of them before responding. Zac's expression seemed calm, but the glint in his eyes suggested he was a bit annoyed, angry even.

But Diego knew his sister would get mad if he didn't do this for her.

"Alright," his sister happily giggled as Zac pulled her along, guiding her out of the movie theater to who knows where.

Diego seemed okay with it, but a voice in the back of his mind was telling him something's a little off with that guy.

"Cght'mon Proxy, let's go." He snapped back to reality and held Maddie's hand as she tele-transported him back to his house. With a quick kiss, she left for her house.

He quickly changed and hopped into bed. He now knew his sister's secret. So why wasn't he put at ease? Everything was telling him not to trust this guy. Finally, he brushed it off as an "overprotective brother" thing and went to sleep.

* * *

The next day didn't make him feel any better, and a certain fiery brunette noticed.

"You okay Twitchy?"*

He turned and faced his fellow kanay. "You know I hate when you call me that Mia." The female kanay only chucked.

Surprisingly, after the whole "destroy witches" fiasco, the two kanays have gotten pretty close. Though, she still liked to call him by the nicknames she came up with.

"Would you rather me call you _Betraygo_?" She asked jokingly. He only glared at her. "Oh come on, it's funny."

"Hilarious."

She noticed his wavering tone. "Seriously, what's wrong? You're kind of sulky."

"I'm not sulky." He defended quickly.

"Yeah, okay, and I'd rather be a witch than a kanay. C'mon, tell me what's wrong."

At that moment, he wanted to tell her. Maybe it would put his mind at ease, telling someone about his sister's dilemma. Well, not really his sister's. But he made a promise, and he intended on keeping it.

At least he felt that way the morning they left for school when Gigi shot him a warning glare if he opened his mouth to anyone about it, knowing she had embarrassing videos of him she'd gladly share without hesitation.

He only shook his head at Mia.

"I'm gonna get it out of you eventually." She pressed.

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew she was right. Mia had her…. _ways of persuasion_.

"Okay fine, I'll tell you...after-school."

And right after school, Mia waited for him at his locker to hear the details.

She impatiently tapped her foot as he opened his locker. "Well?"

"I'd like to pack my backpack first if that's alright with you."

"You're stalling."

He scoffed, trying not to look guilty. "No, I'm not."

She stared at him blankly. "Diego!"

"Okay, fine!" He shut his locker and proceeded walked down the hall with Mia. "Gigi has a boyfriend."

She gaped at him. "No way."

He sighed heavily. "Yeah, and I promised I wouldn't tell anybody. It's bad enough Maddie knows."

"You know I can keep a secret, right? I still haven't told anyone you call Maddie _muffin_."

He groaned. "I wish you'd stop bringing that up." His reply only made her laugh.

"Okay, so Gigi has a boyfriend. Why is that a problem?"

"I don't trust the guy; something's off about him."

"Pretty sure that's your 'overprotective brother voice' talking." she teased.

"I don't know. This morning, I saw red marks on her arm, and when I asked her about it, she said she just fell on the stairs at school."

"Maybe she _did_ fall on the stairs," Mia suggested, trying to be optimistic.

"Maybe," he muttered to himself.

"Okay, if you're that concerned, invite them on a double date or something and keep a close eye on him."

"And how would I get her to agree to that?"

Mia had that smug look on her face, and Diego instantly knew what she was thinking.

"I don't know, it seems kind of mean," he said looking down.

"Do you want to keep an eye on her boyfriend or not?"

He sighed, giving in. "Okay, I'll do it."

He ended up blackmailing Gigi into going on a double date with him and Maddie the next weekend. They had gone to a fancy restaurant, mostly because Maddie "asked" him to. The whole time, he and Zac actually got along. Diego soon learned that Zac also had an interest in cooking. Besides Zac's hand being firmly glued to Gigi's thigh, Diego found nothing out of the ordinary with his sister's new beau.

Little did he know, Zac was very possessive. Diego and Maddie went to pay the bill and left Gigi alone at the table with Zac.

"I thought it would only be the _two of us,_ " he whispers a bit angrily while squeezing her thigh.

She winced. "Zac, he wouldn't leave us alone if I didn't agree to this. Please understand."

"Why is he all of a sudden so protective? What did you tell him?" he asked, his hand squeezing her thigh hard enough to leave a bruise.

"He saw my arm. Please, Zac, you're hurting me again!" she pleaded weakly.

He let out a short breath, quickly letting her go. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just...wish I could have you all to myself. I promise I'll make it up to you G." Seeing her pained expression, he placed a few chaste kisses on her neck, which made her shiver and a small smile grace her features. Gigi knew that his abuse wasn't right, but she figured it was a small price to pay for the love and attention she received.

Sadly, it would only last for about a week.

* * *

The young blogger left for school earlier than usual one morning, not wanting to let her brother or her parents see her. After reaching the school, she rushed straight to the bathroom and rummaged through her bag in search of her foundation.

When she found it, she looked under each of the bathroom stalls for any other occupants. Convinced she was alone, she carefully applied it on her cheek, grimacing as she went until she was satisfied the discoloration wasn't noticeable. Her phone vibrated, signaling another text message. No doubt it was from Zac, trying to apologize, but she didn't want to talk to him right now.

With one last look in the mirror, she scurried off to class. As soon as the door closed, a stall door swung open, revealing the female kanay, who was secretly watching Gigi, standing on the toilet seat. She quickly texted Diego to meet her by her locker at lunch before leaving the bathroom.

...

"Diego?"

He lifted his head to see Sebastian whispering to him from a desk across from his. "What's up?"

"It's about Gigi; she hasn't been herself lately."

The kanay sighed. "I know, it's because she has a boyfriend."

"No, it's getting even weirder. She said she would start blogging again, and she hasn't. She even missed our meeting today. She _never_ misses a meeting."

"But she told me just last week that she'd start back up Miss Information." Diego insisted.

"Gentleman, something to share?" the teacher asked the both of them.

"No sir," Diego replied. He then lowered his head back to Sebastian's level. "I'll find out what's going on, don't worry."

Soon, it was lunchtime, and Diego was patiently waiting at Mia's locker for the "big emergency" she texted him about.

He saw Mia running up to him. "Follow me," she ordered, dragging him outside. They stopped directly outside the front doors. Mia stared at him with a cautious look on her face.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"I don't know how you're going to react to this…" she stammered.

"C' mon Mia, it can't be that bad," he assured.

She gulped. "It's not bad; it's worse." She stared at the ground for a few seconds before finally looking Diego in the eyes. "I think Zac is abusing Gigi."

In a matter of seconds, Diego's eyes went dangerously dark. "How do you know?"

"I saw her in the bathroom putting foundation on her cheek; Zac must've hit her." Before Diego could run and find his sister, Mia held him back.

"Whoa, whoa! You can't confront her now!"

" _Watch me_!" he shouted.

"Just wait until after school, where we can't make a scene."

"I should've known. Of course, she didn't _fall down_ the stairs. How the fuck could she stay with him?!"

"I don't know. Diego, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down."

"I can't calm down, that bastard is hurting my little sister! Mia, we can't wait with this kind of stuff! We have to tell my parents, Principal Alonso, _someone_!"

"I know why I'm saying it. Just trust me. We don't know if it's true yet. I'll make sure she doesn't leave after school and we'll figure this out then."

Diego reluctantly agrees and follows her to the cafeteria for the rest of the period.

...

Soon, the last bell for school rang, and Diego was literally dragging Maddie to Gigi's locker.

"Proxy, what's the hurry! My mom wants me home early, some kind of fashion emergency."

"Madds, that's gonna have to wait. I need you here when we confront Gigi. Emma, Jax, Andi, Sebastian, Daniel, and Mia will be here too."

"Even more reason to leave." she scoffed, turning around to retreat.

"Maddie please; I need you here." She saw the silent plea in his eyes and conceded.

"Okay, fine, I'll tell my Panthers to go help my mom."

He kissed her cheek. "Thank you; this means a lot to me." She flushed at the admission.

Soon Emma, Jax, Daniel, Mia, and Andi showed up, all waiting for Gigi's arrival, but she never came.

"Where is she? I'm ready to kick some ass if I have to!" Andi challenged.

"I don't know," he stressed. Diego started to worry, his markings lighting up on full display.

"Proxy, you have to calm down!" Maddie stressed and took deep breaths in order for the markings to fade.

They disappeared just as Sebastian ran up to them. "Diego, I just saw Gigi!"

The kanay's eyes bulged. "Where?!"

"By the gym. I tried to follow her but lost her after she passed the chemistry lab. I think she was with someone."

After a few seconds, Diego squinted his eyes. "Do you guys hear that?" The others looked at him a bit confused.

Then, a screech sounded, loud enough for all of them to hear, from the back of the school. They all ran towards it.

"Zac, let go!" they heard Gigi shout.

"Not until you forgive me. G, please, I told you I was sorry! Let me explain-"

"No, you're hurting me!"

"I love you, G, it was an accident. Please hear me out!"

"She said to leave her alone!" Diego yelled, pulling Gigi from Zac's grasp. He gave her a once over, checking for bruises and cuts. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine. I just-"

"We were just talking Diego, and you interrupted us," Zac said evenly, with a hint of venom in his voice.

"You need to back up; I didn't ask you." Diego roared.

Zac began to walk towards him, fists clenched, until Jax stopped him, hands gripping his arms. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Gigi, why didn't you tell me he hurt you?"

She stammered, her lips quivering. "I-"

"What did you tell them?!" he growled.

"Nothing!" she squeaked, clearly fearful.

"Did he hurt you?" Diego asked again.

"I didn't!" Zac defended quickly. "If you guys would just give us some privacy-"

Jax, with Daniel's help, moved him a good few feet away from Gigi, pinning him to a pillar. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you." Jax threatened with a growl.

Diego turned back to his sister. "Well?"

She sniffled. "He-he said it was an accident the first time, but then it happened again, and I thought I could handle it myself..." A few tears rolled down Gigi's cheek, which revealed the mark Zac had gave her that she covered up with makeup.

"It's okay Geeg, I'm here; I won't let him hurt you again," he promised, hugging her before turning to Zac, letting Emma and Mia comfort her. "Here's the deal. You're going to leave my sister alone. Don't call her, text her, email her, show up to our house or this school. Zero contact, or we _will_ go to the cops."

"Diego, no. He-he promised he'd get help. He does care for me…." she tried to insist.

"Gigi, he's a psycho. He doesn't care about you, he only wants control. You need to stay away from him."

He only smirked, looking him dead in the eye. "You can't keep us apart just because you don't approve of our relationship. I love her."

"Oh yeah? Since when is hitting someone considered love?" Maddie questioned, which led to all eyes turning to her. "What? I can be supportive if I want to!"

Jax then pulled him off the pillar and pushed him into the driveway of the school. "Leave, for good. If we see you back here again, you will regret it." Jax promised sternly. He and Emma, along with Andi, Diego, Daniel, Mia, and Maddie, surround Gigi, making her unreachable to Zac.

With one last look at Gigi, he walked away from the school. Gigi then began crying into her brother's shirt, Diego soothing her by stroking her back.

Gigi was hurting now, but at least she was safe and away from Zac.

For that moment, it seemed as if the worst was over.

* * *

Following that incident, Diego, Mia, and Sebastian kept a close eye on Gigi, and the others on Zac, making sure they had no contact. Diego even asked Emma to put a locator spell on him, making sure Gigi was nowhere near him.

It was successful at first, and Gigi showed signs of improvement, going back to blogging and reporting news for Iridium High.

A little more than a month passed by, and, after constant pleading, Diego allowed his sister to go to an interview for a journalism company, alone with no protection, promising she'll call when she is on the bus and when she made it safely to the building.

About an hour after the interview, she was finishing up talking to the interviewer.

"We are very impressed with you Miss Rueda, you'll be hearing from us shortly." he had told her.

She smiled wholeheartedly. "Thank you so much for this opportunity!" she exclaimed, then made her way out of the building.

Things were looking up for the teenage gossip queen. Ever since she broke up with Zac, she felt free again, like she could do anything she wanted. She didn't realize that she could be this happy and single, and was thankful for such a caring brother.

She started walking down the sidewalk to the park. She figured she would call Diego to come and get her there.

Unfortunately, she never made it there. A hand grabbed her and pulled her into a van that was parked outside of the park. She tried to scream, but another hand was in her mouth, muffling any noise she tried to make. Soon, she felt herself being engulfed in darkness.

She woke in an abandoned garage, currently being dragged by her hands by someone she couldn't properly identify.

Finally, the person let go of her and sent her toppling to the floor. As soon as Gigi looked up, horror spread across her face.

"What's the matter G? You seem surprised to see me?"

She tried to put as much force as she could before answering to prevent sounding intimidated. "What do you want Zac?"

"You." he deadpanned. He then hoisted her to her feet and held her close. "That's all I ever wanted, but you broke up with me, which in turn broke me. I told you that I _loved_ you, that I'm nothing without you, and you _break up with me_."

With every word, Gigi felt his hold on her get stronger and stronger, to the point where it was getting hard to breathe.

"Please let me go Zac. I need to move on." She protested weakly.

This made him angrier. "What about what I need?! I NEED YOU."

"I-I don't need you." she stammered. The next thing Gigi knew she was on the ground, holding the right side of her face.

 _He had punched her._ _Not slapped like the last time, punched._

Suddenly, he started to laugh. Not a genuine laugh, but the kind of insane laugh that signifies a person is majorly screwed up in the head.

With all the strength she could muster, she tapped her brother's name and pressed the call button on her phone before letting her hand slip back down to the ground.

It was at that moment Gigi really began to worry about her safety.

...

Diego was impatiently tapping his foot, waiting for Gigi's call about how the interview went. _She would've called by now._

He had half a mind to call and ask Emma about Gigi's current location.

Finally, his phone rang, and he picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, Gigi. How did it go?"

All he heard from the other side of the phone was screams and whimpers of pain.

"Gigi?! Where are you, what happened?!"

Then, he heard Zac's voice. He was yelling at Gigi, and no doubt the reason she's screaming and in wails of pain.

The kanay's markings lit up, and he got furious and more worried by the minute. "Don't worry Gigi, I'm coming!" He said before hanging up, hoping she heard him.

He then searched his contacts, sent out a group text to the others about Gigi, and quickly dialed another number after failing to get an immediate response from them.

"Sebastian; I need you to track Gigi's phone; she's in danger."

...

Opening her eyes, all Gigi could see was blood. It was on her clothes, in her hair, and on the ground where she was laying on.

She felt her throat getting dry and scratchy and coughed in an attempt to clear it. Instead, only more blood covered her hands.

 _How did she end up in this situation?_ Gigi was never this obsessed with being in a relationship with anyone, except a certain captain of the swim team. Since he took no notice to her, she became a bit desperate and took her cousin's advice of online dating. That's how she met Zac, who seemed like the perfect gentleman.

Unfortunately, she soon discovered that he wasn't the guy he said he was online. He was very aggressive and controlling, though saying it was only because he was afraid of losing her. Because this was her first relationship, she didn't know how to get out of it, not to mention his height and build didn't help the situation.

But a part of her didn't want to get out of it. He was the only guy that had given her the time of day; why would she give that up?

The teenage gossip should've known. _How could anyone love someone so obsessed with gossip and snooping? It was too good to be true._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of pain in her abdomen. As she clutched it, she noticed Zac's foot was close to her fragile body.

He then realized her phone was in her reach, picked it up, and hurled to the other side of the building, no doubt breaking into pieces.

She whimpered quietly to herself. Never in her life did Gigi feel so helpless.

"You thought you could call for help? NO ONE IS COMING. I'll make sure that you'll suffer, just like I did when you broke-" his spiel was cut off by a large gust of wind being thrown at him.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

"Diego.." She croaked, and instantly he was by her side.

"Gigi! Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. Sebastian take her!" He ordered, and lunged for Zac, shooting a fireball from his arms, landing on Zac. He yelled in pain, giving Diego enough time to land another punch.

Sebastian, not even looking back, took Gigi in his arms and led her to the exit. As soon as they were outside, he started dialing 911.

"Gigi, stay awake, you're going to be fine," he begged.

Gigi barely nodded before everything around her went black.

* * *

When she next opened her eyes, she was in a hospital bed, her brother beside her, his hands wrapped up in gauze.

She felt pain from her head, jaw, arms, and stomach, which were all carefully wrapped up.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she whispered with a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

She proceeded to sit herself up, a sharp pain ran through her back in the process, causing her to wince. "Better." she looked at Diego's hands. "What about you?"

"I'll manage," he replied. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too." she smiled. "Zac?"

"In custody. Don't worry, he's never going be able to reach you anymore."

"Is he hurt?"

Diego merely smirked. "He'll live."

She looked down, ashamed. "I thought he'd leave me alone."

His lips curved into a frown. "It's my fault. I should've gone with you to the interview-"

"Diego, it's okay. You know how stubborn I can be. I would've pleaded until you let me."

Gigi could tell he was still fuming. "I still can't believe this happened to you," He looked at her, solemnly. "You didn't deserve this."

A nurse walked in. "Miss Rueda, good; you're awake. Your vitals are stable, and you don't have any major injuries, mostly bruises. I called your parents; they will be here shortly. You will have to stay here overnight, but you can go home tomorrow." Gigi only nodded, and the nurse left.

She sighed. "Mom and Dad are going to flip."

"They have a good reason to, don't you think?"

She looked up at her brother. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that Zac was abusing me earlier. He always told me he'd stop or get help, but he never did. He seemed like the perfect guy; I thought he loved me." she sniffled.

"Gigi, this isn't your fault."

"Yes, yes it is. I'm so stupid; how could I ever think someone could love me?"

"Because you're amazing!" a voice shouted from the doorway. Both Ruedas looked in that direction to see Sebastian standing in front of them.

"Sebastian, hi!" Gigi greeted, a bit flustered.

"Hey." he then proceeded to walk towards the other side of Gigi, holding one of her hands in his. "Sorry for yelling, but I meant what I said; you're amazing. You're driven, determined, stubborn, cunning, and maybe a bit naive, but amazing. You're one of the oldest friends I have, and I'm so glad that I know you."

Sebastian's short speech brought a few tears to the amateur reporter's eyes. He raised a finger to wipe them away from her face.

"Oookay, I'm gonna give you two a minute," Diego said, standing up from his chair and leaving the room.

She laughed nervously. "I'm glad I know you too Sebastian."

He smiled at her. "I love you; you know that right?"

Her eyes widened at his confession. She moved to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I know now."

He brought her in for an embrace. "Ow." she yelped.

Sebastian quickly let go of her. "Sorry," he mumbled meekly.

He slid beside her on the hospital bed and kept her company until her parents came.

Gigi realized how lucky she was to have such great friends in her life, a brother that cared enough to protect her from anyone who hurt her, and loving, understanding parents. Not to mention Sebastian, who just admitted his love for her.

 _How could she have been so blind?_

She never needed a perfect boyfriend; all that she needed was already in her life.

* * *

 ***A nickname Mia gave Diego in the s3 finale xD**

 **This probably the longest one-shot I've posted, hopefully, it didn't suck xD Review?**


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